A collection of black and white prints and negatives of Islamic monuments taken by former ambassador Richard B. Parker. The collection includes 200 prints and 481 negatives. The images document Islamic architecture throughout Algeria, Cairo, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, and Spain.

Richard Bordeaux Parker was born on July 3, 1923, in the Philippines where his father was stationed in the United States Army. He earned a Bachelors of Science in General Science and a Masters of Science in Citizenship Education from Kansas State University. After serving as an infantry soldier during World War II, Parker joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1949. His first tour was spent in Sydney, Australia. He then focused his career on the Middle East, holding a number of posts in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. In addition, Parker served as ambassador to Algeria (1974-1977), Lebanon (1977), and Morocco (1978-1979.) Fluent in Arabic, he has written/edited seven books to date on subjects concerning the Middle East. He retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 1981 and became the editor of, The Middle East Journal, from 1981 through 1987. In addition to his diplomatic career, Parker taught at the University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins University, and Lawrence University. He served as the first president of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training from 1986-1989. He is also a member of several organizations including the Advisory Council on Near East Studies at Princeton University, the American Academy of Diplomacy, the Cosmos Club, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Middle East Institute. In June, 2004, he received the American Foreign Service Association's lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy award. Richard B. Parker is married with four children and lives in Washington, D.C.

The Amb. Richard B. Parker Photographs contains 200 black and white prints, 481 black and white negatives, and two black and white contact sheets of Islamic monuments in Algeria, Cairo, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, and Spain. The Morocco series in the largest in the collection covering four cities. Photographs from Cairo span the years 1965-1968. All other photographs span the years 1970-1979. Originally, the negatives and prints were housed together. Although the negatives are now housed separately from the prints, they are grouped in the original order. All prints are in original order. Most of the photographs have been annotated and/or dated by the creator.

This series contains 28 black and white prints and 82 black and white negatives of Islamic monuments in Algeria. All the negatives in this series are 2¼ x 2¼. 22 of the negatives in this series correspond to prints in this series. Any descriptions of prints are located on the print itself. Any descriptions of negatives were located on the original negative sleeve or attached paper. The spelling of places and names is consistent with what appears in the annotations. The original order of items has been retained.

Subseries 1.1: Algeria, Prints
1972-1974

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.

Box

Folder

Algiers - Katch[aous?]

1

1

Existed in 1612. Rebuilt in 1794. Converted to a church and largely rebuilt by French. Only the columns are original.

Algiers- Great Mosque

1

1

7/17 Algiers. Algiers-Pecherie Mosque

1

1

Built in 1660 by Hai Habib.

Pecherie Mosque- Algiers

1

1

Tlemcen, Great Mosque

1

1

Tlemcen, Great Mosque

1

1

Tlemcen, Great Mosque

1

1

Tlemcen, Great Mosque, Dome before [illegible]

1

1

Tlemcen, Great Mosque

1

1

Tlemcen, Great Mosque

1

1

Bou Madyan- Tlemcen

1

2

Bou Madyan- Tlemcen

1

2

Bou Madyan- Tlemcen

1

2

Bou Madyan- Tlemcen

1

2

Bou Madyan- Tlemcen

1

2

Bou Madyan- Tlemcen Stalactite Ceiling

1

2

Algeria Sidi Halwi Tlemcen

1

2

Tlemcen- Minaret of Mosque of Sidi Bel Hassan

1

2

Sidi Abdarah[_?]man- Tlemcen

1

2

Minaret of Mosque at Mansurah

1

2

Minaret (Tlemcen) Al-Mansurah Algeria

1

3

Décor on Minaret Al-Mansurah Tlemcen- Algeria

1

3

Pise Wall of Mosque Al –Mansurah- Algeria (Tlemcen)

1

3

Pise Wall of Mosque Al –Mansurah- Algeria (Tlemcen)

1

3

Nedromah

1

3

Nedromah- Minaret of Almoravid Mosque- Zianid- 1348

1

3

Nedromah

1

3

Qala’ah Banu Hammad- Algeria-1976 Minaret from South

1

3

Eight-Pointed Star- Qala’a Al Banu Hammad (Al-Ma[n?]ar) 1976

1

3

Algeria Qala’a Al Benu Hammad 1976

1

3

Unidentified. [no caption]

1

3

Subseries 1.2: Algeria, Negatives 1972-1974

Descriptions come directly from original negative sleeve or attached paper.

This series contains 16 black and white prints and 72 black and white negatives of Islamic monuments in Cairo, Egypt. 12 of the negatives in this series correspond to prints in this series. All of the negatives in this series are 2¼ x 2¼. Any descriptions of prints are located on the print itself. Any descriptions of negatives were located on the original negative sleeve or attached paper. The spelling of places and names is consistent with what appears in the annotations. The original order of items has been retained.

Subseries 2.1: Cairo, Prints 1965-1968, 1970

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.

This series contains a total of 27 black and white prints and 30 black and white negatives of Islamic monuments in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. 16 negatives in this series are 2¼" x 2¼", 5 are 35mm of Lebanon. There are 13 prints and 27 negatives of Lebanon. There are 10 prints and 0 negatives of Syria and 4 prints and 3 negatives of Jordan. 16 of the negatives in this series correspond to prints in this series. Any descriptions of prints are located on the print itself. Any descriptions of negatives were located on the original negative sheet or attached paper. The spelling of places and names is consistent with what appears in the annotations. The original order of items has been retained.

Subseries 3.1: Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, Prints 1977-1978

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.

This series contains a total of 88 back and white prints and 295 black and white negatives of Islamic monuments in Morocco. This series is broken down by city within Morocco; 4.1- Fes; 4.2- Marrakesh; 4.3- Meknes, Tinmal and Tit; 4.4- Rabat Sale. Any descriptions of prints are located on the print itself. Any descriptions of negatives were located on the original negative sleeve or an attached paper. Some of the photographs in this series were taken by Doug Smith. Those prints are noted. The original order of items has been retained.

Subseries 4.1: Fes 1970-1979

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.

There are 23 prints and 53 negatives in this subseries. All the negatives in this series are 2¼" x 2¼". 8 of the negatives correspond to prints in this series. All of the prints in Box 1, Folder 11 were originally grouped together in an envelope. The original order of items has been retained.

Subseries 4.1.1: Fes, Prints 1970-1979

Box

Folder

Fes- Bab [G?]hufra (to west of Bab Bou [J?]eloud).

1

9

Fes- Burj An-Naffara, the Trumpet Tower, from Attarin Medersa.

1

9

Fes, from roof of Palais de Fes Restaurant showing, from right to left, the minaret of the Qaraqiyin Mosque (956), the modern minaret of the Moulay Idris Zawia, and Burj An-Naffara, the Trumpet Tower. Roofs of Qarawiyin in foreground.

1

9

Attarin [?], Fes.

1

9

Attarin, Fes.

1

10

Fes, Minaret of Seffarin Medersa.

1

10

Clock opposite Bou Inania, Fes 1972?

1

10

Clock Opposite Bou Inania Fes- 1947.

1

10

Fes- the Magana or Clock Opposite the Bou Inania Medersa from an early photo (Many Days in Morocco, by John Horne McBride and Co. NY, 1927).

There are 19 prints and 76 negatives in this subseries. 59 negatives in this series are 2¼" x 2¼" and 17 are 35mm. 11 of the negatives correspond to prints in this series. The original order of items has been retained.

Subseries 4.2.1: Marrakesh, Prints

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.

Marrakesh- Northern and Western faces of Kutubiya, showing remnants of the décor. Photo by Doug Smith. Kutubiya- Doug Smith 1974.

1

12

Kutubiya- Lantern- (Doug Smith), 1974.

1

12

Marrakesh- Minaret of the Qasbah Mosque showing earlier example of Shabka, or net motif against faience tile background. Much restored.

1

12

Marrakesh- ceiling of Almoravid Qubba showing floral and geometric décor. This is the earliest appearance of the scallop shell/palmette motif in Morocco.

1

12

Marrakesh- Bin Yusuf Medersa. View into courtyard from student’s room on second floor.

1

12

Marrakesh- Bin Yusuf Medersa- Arched doorway leading from prayer hall into courtyard. Built in 1564-65 by the Saddian Sultan Moulay Abdallah. The décor of the arch is almost identical with that of a similar doorway leading into the Sala de las Dos Hermanas at the Al hambra, built two centuries earlier.

There are 16 prints and 47 negatives in this subseries. 36 negatives are 2¼" x 2¼" and 11 are 35mm. 13 of the negatives correspond to prints in this series. The original order of items has been retained.

Series 4.3.1: Meknes, Tinmal and Tit, Prints

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.

Box

Folder

Place El- Hedim, Meknes.

1

14

Dar Jama’i is the pyramidal roofed building in background. The entrance is next to the decorated fountain to the left of picture.

Meknes- Bou Inania Medersa.

1

14

Much restored. But very tastefully.

Bou Inania Medersa Meknes.

1

14

Palace of Moulay Ismail Meknes.

1

14

Entrance Palace of Moulay Ismail- Meknes.

1

14

Palace of Moulay Ismail- Meknes.

1

14

The Mosque of Tinmal from the Southeast. Square protuberance in center is minaret

1

14

The Mosque of Tinmal 1973.

1

14

Tinmal- Mihrab.

1

15

Tinmal- the Mihrab.

1

15

Tinmal floral décor on pierced stucco window above Mihrab. The photo also shows the stalactites used to form the right hand squinch to support the dome.

Descriptions come directly from original negative sleeve or attached paper.

Box

Folder

1970s Meknes- Dar Al-Makilzen.

4

1

[3 negatives]

1973 Meknes- Medersa and Palace of Moulay Ismail.

4

1

[11 negatives]

Morocco Oct. 1973 Tinmal.

4

1

[11 negatives- 35mm]

Oct 73 Tinmal.

4

2

[6 negatives]

Oct 1973 Morocco- Tinmal

4

2

[9 negatives]

1973 Morocco- Tit.

4

2

[7 negatives]

Subseries 4.4: Rabat Sale 1970-1974, 1978-1979

There are 30 prints and 119 negatives in this subseries. 84 negatives are 2¼" x 2¼" and 35 negatives are 35mm. 21 of the negatives correspond to prints in this series. The original order of items has been retained.

Subseries 4.4.1: Rabat Salé, Prints

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.

This series contains a total of 17 black and white prints and 2 black and white negatives of Islamic monuments in Spain. All the negatives in this series are 2¼" x 2¼". 2 of the negatives in this series correspond to prints in this series. Any descriptions of prints are located on the print itself. Any descriptions of negatives were located on the original negative sheet or attached paper. The spelling of places and names is consistent with what appears in the annotations. The original order of items has been retained.

Series 5.1: Spain, Prints
1970-1972

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.

Box

Folder

Cordoba Minaret/Bell tower of Great Mosque/Cathedral Cordova- 1970.

1

19

Cordoba- Great Mosque.

1

19

Cordoba Mihrab- Great Mosque Cordova.

1

19

Cordoba Mihrab- Great Mosque Cordova.

1

19

Cordova- Dome before Mihrab Great Mosque.

1

19

Mosque of Bab Mardoum, Toledo.

1

19

Mosque of Bab Mardoum- Toledo.

1

19

Toledo- Bab Mardoum.

1

19

Minaret near Bab Mardoum- Toledo.

1

19

Giralda Tower- Seville.

1

20

Giralda- Seville.

1

20

Giralda- Seville.

1

20

[no annotation]

1

20

Giralda Seville.

1

20

Giralda- Seville.

1

20

Ronda- Church of Santa Maria.

1

20

Subseries 5.2: Spain, Negatives 1970-1972

Descriptions come directly from original negative sleeve or attached paper.

This series contains a total of 24 black and white prints of Islamic monuments. These prints were not included in any series. There were loose prints and there are no negatives in this series. Any descriptions of prints are located on the print itself. The spelling of places and names is consistent with what appears in the annotations. The original order of items has been retained.

Subseries 6.1: Miscellaneous Prints

The following descriptions come directly from captions on the front and/or verso of print.